Network Management Tips to Improve Productivity and Efficiency

Work smarter not harder

Do you ever wish you had a checklist handy to ensure you have taken all the steps possible to maximize the health of your network? After all, a healthy network results in higher levels of productivity and efficiency throughout your organization.

The problem is – every network is different. This means there’s no one-size-fits-all checklist you can use. The way you configure and monitor your network is dependent on your organization’s infrastructure and needs. While this is true, following a few best practices can help you optimize your devices and achieve the high levels of productivity and efficiency you strive for.

Map Out Existing Architecture and Make Adjustments where Needed

The first step in any network management plan is to know what exactly is in your network. How many firewalls, routers, switches, etc. are in use? In addition to taking a comprehensive device inventory, you also need to know where each device is located (physically) and how it connects with your network. If you don’t have a full picture of your network hardware, you’ll never be able to manage it effectively.

Don’t worry – you don’t have to go through and manually document all this information. Instead, you can use innovative network mapping software. Tools like this create a diagram of your entire network and eliminate your need to maintain spreadsheets and/or visio diagrams.. Once you have your up-to-date map, you can detect areas needing adjustment and put together a plan of attack for improving your network architecture. This in turn will improve productivity and efficiency.

Identify Critical Points of Failure and Make Sure they are Monitored

For most organizations, if you lose a device in the middle of your network, such as a core switch stack, all of your users will lose access to critical applications. This is the opposite of improving productivity and efficiency.

It’s important for you to know what devices may cause serious operational bottlenecks for your organization if they malfunction or fail. It’s also important to know what metrics you need to watch that are going to signal if a device is going or has gone off the grid.

Configure SNMP on Your Network Devices

Using SNMP allows you to gather a large amount of information about your network’s performance. SNMP is considered one of the most common internet protocols. Make sure to configure the core infrastructure to support SNMP, which can help you monitor metrics beyond the status of being up or down.

Implement Continuous Monitoring

While monitoring your network during normal business hours is the first step to superior network performance, it’s also a good idea to enable ongoing monitoring. By doing this, you can more easily promote healthy network operations throughout the day and night. This is especially important for certain industries, such as finance, where you need to ensure your services and products are available 24x7.

Monitoring your network continuously doesn’t mean you have to put in more hours. You can use third-party monitoring solutions to help you keep tabs on the status of your devices and receive real-time alerts through text or email if an issue occurs. Managed Service Providers, like s2s Communications, provide such monitoring and address all alerts on a 24x7x365 basis so your team can rest easy knowing issues are being taken care of immediately.

If you want to deploy a healthy network and improve your organization’s productivity and efficiency, then implement these tips today. Doing so will provide you with the support needed to ensure your network helps you achieve overall business goals, rather than hinder you. Contact s2s today for more information!

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